Home Office

Slavery

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of proposals by the Anti-Slavery Commissioners to establish a central repository for modern slavery statements; and if she will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 02 February 2017.The correct answer should have been:

We have not received a proposal from the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner regarding the establishment of a central repository for modern slavery statements. We have not endorsed a particular repository for such statements. So far, two repository websites have been set up to collect the ‘slavery and human trafficking statements’ published by businesses in one place. These are being run by Unseen and the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. These are being run by Semantrica and the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

Sarah Newton: We have not received a proposal from the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner regarding the establishment of a central repository for modern slavery statements. We have not endorsed a particular repository for such statements. So far, two repository websites have been set up to collect the ‘slavery and human trafficking statements’ published by businesses in one place. These are being run by Unseen and the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. These are being run by Semantrica and the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

Migrant Workers: Scotland

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) certificates of sponsorship and (b) extensions of stay were issued for people working for Scottish employers for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 5 visas, by industry, in each year from 2011 to 2015.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Published information/data relating to the issuance of Certificates of Sponsorship can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2016-data-tables

Refugees: Children

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) how many and (b) which local authorities offered no spaces for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children under the Dubs amendment.

Mr Robert Goodwill: On 8 September, I wrote to all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland asking them to confirm how many places they could offer to accommodate unaccompanied asylum seeking children. This is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept unaccompanied asylum seeking children. We ask local authorities to consider carefully whether they have the infrastructure and support networks needed to ensure the appropriate care of these unaccompanied children before participating in the National Transfer Scheme.Local authorities reported they have capacity for an additional 400 unaccompanied asylum seeking children. This is in addition to the unaccompanied children already in local authority care. We estimate that at least 50 of the family reunion cases will require a local authority placement in circumstances where the reunion does not work out.We estimate that at least 50 of the family reunion cases transferred from France as part of the Calais clearance will require a local authority placement in cases where the family reunion does not work out.We estimate that at least 50 of the family reunion cases transferred from France as part of the Calais clearance will require a local authority placement in cases where the family reunion does not work out.Every region in England is participating in the National Transfer Scheme and we are working very closely with local authorities in Scotland and Wales who have also responded positively.It is for individual local authorities to decide the number of children they are able to accommodate but we continue to work with those not currently participating in the National Transfer Scheme to support them to do so at the earliest opportunity.

Action Fraud: Staff

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many call-handling staff are employed by Action Fraud.

Mr Ben Wallace: As of January 2017, there were approximately 75 Full Time Employee call handling staff.

Asylum

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that its initial decisions on granting asylum are made accurately and fairly.

Mr Robert Goodwill: All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information. We ensure that claimants are given every opportunity to disclose information relevant to their claim before a decision is taken, even where that information may be sensitive or difficult to disclose We continually work to improve the quality of decision-making to ensure that we properly consider all the evidence provided and get decisions right the first time. UK Visas and Immigration has an internal audit process, consisting of reviews by senior case workers and independent auditors, which assesses whether Home Office policy has been followed.

Furs: Imports

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what audits her Department conducts on imported fur originating from (a) China, (b) Denmark, (c) the US and (d) other countries.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Border Force is responsible for enforcing controls at the border on imports of fur products protected by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), Council Regulation (EEC) No 3254/91 and Council Regulation (EC) No 1523/2007 which prohibit the import of fur and fur products from certain animals.A National Co-operation Agreement between Border Force and DEFRA (who has lead policy responsibility for controls on furs and fur skin products) provides a clear framework of co-operation to ensure the effective enforcement of legislation governing the import of plants, animals and products of plant and animal origin at the border.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

*No heading*

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support democracy in and (b) strengthen UK relations with countries in Africa.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK’s links with Africa are profound. We spend almost £5 billion a year supporting Africa’s stability and prosperity. My Rt. Hon Friend the Foreign Secretary (Mr Johnson) last week visited The Gambia which recently saw its first democratic transfer of power, and in May my Rt. Hon Friend the Prime Minister (Mrs May) will host a major conference to agree a new international partnership for Somalia, demonstrating UK leadership and commitment to democracy and stability in Africa.

*No heading*

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of civilian casualties in Syria as a result of UK air strikes.

Boris Johnson: To date there have been no known cases of civilian casualties resulting from UK strikes in Syria. All strikes take place in accordance with UK Rules of Engagement.

*No heading*

Mrs Flick Drummond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of progress towards a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

Boris Johnson: We continue to believe the two-state solution is the only viable long-term solution to the Arab Israeli conflict. We are concerned that ongoing settlement construction, incitement and terrorist attacks are undermining prospects for peace. We will work with the parties and our international partners to arrest these trends and encourage a return to negotiations.

*No heading*

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in the Republic of Congo.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, has been relatively calm since the political protests of April 2016. I visited the Republic of Congo in August 2016. In my meeting with President Sassou I emphasised that the Presidential elections had been a missed opportunity to conduct a democratic transition of power and set an example to the region.

*No heading*

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political and security situation in the Gambia.

Boris Johnson: Last week I made the first visit by a British Foreign Secretary to The Gambia. I congratulated President Barrow on winning free and fair elections and on the peaceful transition. After 22 years of brutal, oppressive rule, The Gambia faces many serious economic and institutional problems. The UK is ready to help the political transition, championing The Gambia as a new international partner and friend in West Africa.

*No heading*

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support democracy in and (b) strengthen UK relations with countries in Africa.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK’s links with Africa are profound. We spend almost £5 billion a year supporting Africa’s stability and prosperity. My Rt. Hon Friend the Foreign Secretary (Mr Johnson) last week visited The Gambia which recently saw its first democratic transfer of power, and in May my Rt. Hon Friend the Prime Minister (Mrs May) will host a major conference to agree a new international partnership for Somalia, demonstrating UK leadership and commitment to democracy and stability in Africa.

*No heading*

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the treatment of human rights activists in that country.

Alok Sharma: We regularly raise human rights in interactions with Chinese counterparts. During my visit to China last week I raised the case of the ‘709’ lawyers with Assistant Foreign Minister Liu. We held the China-UK human rights dialogue last October and will be holding another such discussion in April this year.

Department for Education

Secondary Education

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials of her Department have met the (i) Grammar School Heads' Association and (ii) National Association of Secondary Moderns in each of the last three years.

Nick Gibb: We do not keep a central record of all the meetings the Grammar School Heads' Association (GSHA) and the National Association of Secondary Moderns (NASM) may have had with DfE ministers or officials. A search of records, however, indicates that since February 2014, the GSHA met Ministers twice, first in December 2016 at a roundtable event to discuss academic selection, and once in February 2017 to discuss the National Funding Formula. Ministers also spoke at the GSHA Annual Conference in June 2014 and June 2016. On two occasions since February 2014, in April 2014 and April 2016, Ministers have attended and spoken at NASM events. Officials routinely meet with a wide range of stakeholders in the course of policy development, and have met the GSHA on a number of occasions since February 2014, including discussions following the publication of the ‘Schools That Work for Everyone’ consultation. We have no record of any meetings between officials and the NASM, or requests by the NASM to meet officials, during this period.

Academies: Football

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department has provided to football academies in the last three years; and (a) what projects have been funded and (b) how many participants there have been in (i) those projects and (ii) each academy.

Robert Halfon: I refer the MP to the answer given on 5 December 2016 to question 55137, which provided the following answer: The Department for Education funds sports provision in a wide range of schools, colleges and other providers. The Department does not directly fund any football or other sport academies, but it does fund League Football Education and the FA Premier League Limited for delivery of education and training in association with football clubs. Some education and training linked to football clubs is also delivered through sub-contracting arrangements with funded institutions. The Department does not hold information on the numbers of students who drop out from sports academies. The Department currently funds 16 to 19 provision in 36 schools and academies that have sports as a specialism and are identified as such in their title. The allocations to those schools and academies, along with the allocations for all other 16 to 19 provision, are published online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-allocation-data-2016-to-2017-academic-year and:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-allocations-to-training-providers-2016-to-2017 Most students enrolled on sports provision are enrolled on general qualifications that are not specific to any particular sport.

Ministry of Justice

UN Human Rights Council

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who will lead the UK delegation at the UN Human Rights Council for the UK's Universal Periodic Review on 4 May 2017.

Sir Oliver Heald: I shall lead the UK delegation myself.

Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission

Polling Stations: Internet

Cat Smith: To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's Electoral Administration Bulletin Issue 173, published in December 2016, for what reasons the Commission does not provide an online polling station finder service directly; and if the Commission will publish the minutes of meetings held which resulted in the decision not to collate that information internally.

Bridget Phillipson: The Electoral Commission continually monitors technological developments in order to provide the best possible service to voters. When the Commission started to explore the possibility of providing polling station locations on its website, Democracy Club had already done a lot of work in this area and had already amassed significant expertise on how best to collate and provide this data. The Commission took the view that it would represent better value for money for the taxpayer to work with and further support Democracy Club rather than restart the work they had already commenced.Items that are discussed at the Commission Board are formally minuted and these are placed on the Commission’s website. The decision to work with Democracy Club was not made at Board level, but by a member of the Commission’s executive team as a matter of ongoing business. The decision was not minuted.The Commission continues to work with Democracy Club ahead of the polls in May 2017. It is taking an active role in encouraging local authorities to provide their data to Democracy Club so that as many voters as possible can benefit from the service.

Polling Stations: Internet

Cat Smith: To ask the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission's Electoral Administration Bulletin Issue 173, published in December 2016, what discussions the Commission has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on providing Democracy Club's online polling station information to political parties in a usable format.

Bridget Phillipson: The Electoral Commission has had no discussions with the Minister on the issue of providing online polling station information to political parties. The Commission has briefed the Minister for the Constitution about its partnership with Democracy Club; the Minister is supportive of the initiative, as noted in his recent speech to the conference of the Association of Electoral Administrators on 6 February 2017.

Ministry of Defence

Yemen: Military Intervention

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2016 to Question 41410, when his Department last carried out an assessment of (a) whether the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen were targeting civilians and (b) that coalition's level of respect for and compliance with international humanitarian law; and if he will place in the Library copies of documentation used in such assessments.

Sir Michael Fallon: Holding answer received on 07 February 2017



The Ministry of Defence (MOD) analyses allegations of International Humanitarian Law violations arising from air strikes in Yemen conducted by the Saudi-led Coalition. The MOD has not assessed that the Coalition is deliberately targeting civilians.

Kentigern House

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the leasing arrangements are for the Army Personnel Centre at Kentigern House in Glasgow; and when such arrangements are due for renewal.

Mark Lancaster: There are no leasing arrangements in place for the Army Personnel Centre at Kentigern House.

Kentigern House

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff are employed at the Army Personnel Centre at Kentigern House in Glasgow.

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the staff headcount was at the Army Personnel Centre at Kentigern House in Glasgow in each year from 2006 to 2016.

Mark Lancaster: As at 14 February 2017, there were 666 staff employed by the Army Personnel Centre at Kentigern House (155 Military and 511 Civilian). The table below shows establishment figures for the Army Personnel Centre, split by Military (Regular, Reserves and Full-Time Reserve Service posts) and Civilian (Full Time Equivalent) posts. Figures of actual staff employed for these years are not held. Year2006-2010201120122013201420152016Military181177177172172160166Civilian617625625569569551553Total798802802741741711719 All figures represent Army Personnel Centre staff only, and therefore exclude staff from other Ministry of Defence organisations based at Kentigern House.

Armed Forces: Communication

Robert Courts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has put in place to ensure the continuation of secure personal correspondence between armed forces personnel deployed in remote locations and their families after the e-bluey system ends on 31 March 2017.

Mark Lancaster: Personnel deployed on operations enjoy access to a variety of methods for contacting their friends and family, including via internet access or mail services. Therefore the cessation of the e-bluey service will not impact on the provision of secure personal correspondence for deployed personnel.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Licensing

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times payment providers (a) were asked by the Gambling Commission to block payments to online gambling websites not licenced in the UK and (b) blocked such payments between the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 coming into force and 31 December 2016.

Tracey Crouch: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 20 February 2017.The correct answer should have been:

Between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2016, there have been approximately 13 occasions where the Gambling Commission has asked payment providers to prevent payments to online gambling website operators not licensed in the Great Britain but believed to be transacting with consumers in Great Britain. On 12 of those occasions the payment provider either terminated their relationship with the unlicensed operator or took steps to ensure that the unlicensed gambling website was no longer available to consumers in Great Britain. In the other case, enforcement activity is currently ongoing.

Tracey Crouch: Between 1 November 2014 and 31 December 2016, there have been approximately 13 occasions where the Gambling Commission has asked payment providers to prevent payments to online gambling website operators not licensed in the Great Britain but believed to be transacting with consumers in Great Britain. On 12 of those occasions the payment provider either terminated their relationship with the unlicensed operator or took steps to ensure that the unlicensed gambling website was no longer available to consumers in Great Britain. In the other case, enforcement activity is currently ongoing.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Council Housing: Older People

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what safeguards he plans to put in place to prevent older people from having to relocate at the end of a fixed-term local authority tenancy.

Gavin Barwell: I refer the hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 58708.

Parking

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will issue advice to local authorities on increasing the minimum size of car parking spaces in their car parks to take account of the increasing average size of new cars; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s policies for promoting sustainable transport, including on parking provision. The Framework explains that local authorities should seek to improve the quality of parking in town centres so that it is convenient, safe and secure. We believe that local authorities are best placed to determine the parking needs of their local communities, having regard to national planning policy.

Department for International Trade

Exports

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the value is of total exports from each UK region to (a) the EU, (b) the US and (c) China.

Greg Hands: Figures on the value of UK exports of goods from each UK region to the EU, the US and China for 2015 are given in Table 1 below. Data on regional exports of services by partner country are not available.Table 1: UK exports of goods to the EU, USA and China, by UK region, in 2015 (£million)RegionGoods exports to the EU, £millionGoods exports to the USA, £millionGoods exports to China, £millionEast11,5043,032637East Midlands8,6992,816796London12,6035,245903North East7,0061,237454North West11,6543,7921,378South East19,0707,9381,501South West9,7221,560318West Midlands12,0365,4173,690Yorkshire and the Humber7,7923,720411Northern Ireland3,4761,11691Scotland6,7462,620480Wales5,0232,798224Unknown18,1133,968508Total UK133,44445,25911,391 Source: HMRC Regional Trade Statistics database, https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Home.aspxNote: HMRC figures are on a customs (‘physical movement’) basis: goods are recorded as UK exports if they physically leave the economic territory of the UK. These figures are slightly different than the ONS data which are based on the ‘change of ownership’ (Balance of Payments) principle: goods leaving the economic territory of the UK are recorded as exports only if they change ownership between UK residents and non-residents.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Badgers: Bovine Tuberculosis

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the badger vaccination programme in Ireland, what plans she has to introduce trials of oral bacillus calmette-guerin badger vaccinations in the UK.

George Eustice: We work in partnership with the Irish and French governments, as well as the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland, on the development of an oral bovine TB vaccine for badgers.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2017 to Question 62534, what the number of security passes issued by her Department to people not employed by her Department is; what business needs suffice for such a security pass to be granted; and what the number of passes issued to people who work for private companies which have currently or previously been awarded government contracts or which are bidding for such contracts is.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the previous reply given on 14 February 2017, Written Question 63262.

Department of Health

Organs: Donors

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to increase the number of people registered as organ donors in the UK.

Nicola Blackwood: A seven year United Kingdom-wide organ donation and transplantation strategy was jointly published by the four UK health ministers and NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in July 2013. The strategy aims to increase consent rates, encourage people to be proud to donate and to make the UK system comparable with the best of the world. 2015/16 saw the highest ever deceased donor rate in the UK with 1,364 deceased donors resulting in 3,529 transplants. A further 3,779 patients had their sight restored through a cornea transplant and there were 1,075 living donors, most donating a kidney. NHSBT run regular awareness raising campaigns and introduced a new Organ Donation Register (ODR) system making it easier for people to record their wishes about donation. NHSBT works collaboratively with a number of partners in the private, public and third sectors to promote organ donation. People can add their name to the ODR via Government owned channels such as applying for a driving licence and paying car tax online. On 1 December 2015, Wales introduced deemed consent (opt-out) for organ and tissue donation. We will monitor closely how these changes in legislation in Wales affect donation rates.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to disallow the current infected blood scheme administrators from bidding in the tender to be the new Infected Blood Scheme Administrator.

Nicola Blackwood: No procurement exercise for a new Infected Blood Scheme Administrator has been launched.